Euro Thanksgiving 2.0

Zucca (pumpkin) pizza

It was tough for Trofie Wife to spend yet another Thanksgiving away from home. Apart from special birthdays falling on years ending in 0, 5, 3, or 8, this is the only time of the year when all of her siblings are together. It was at least some comfort that Zurich Sister wouldn’t be making it to the feast in 2009 either, pending her permanent return home two months later. A trip back East (er, I guess it’s west of here) would have also allowed her to attend her 10th high school reunion, but thanks to the wonders of social networking, there was a lot less unsated curiosity.

At least this second Thanksgiving in Italy we’d have guests and proper food, as opposed to the prior year’s debacle of Martello working late and our fish ravoli disintegrating in the pot. Thanksgiving 2009 featured guests from five countries (plus token Americans)—South Africa, Costa Rica, Norway, France, and Italy—and we think we did a fair enough job explaining its significance to them all.

We featured American favorites as well as those with an Italian twist— Gorgonzola on sweet crackers topped with candied raspberries (a recipe I picked up from Housing Works’ catering company and have shared at past family Thanksgivings), pizza with pumpkin, brined turkey breasts (no way a whole turkey was making it into that oven!), Brussels sprouts with craisins (procured thanks to the American bazaar; they were so good that Martello, the avowed Brussels sprouts foe, not only tasted but actually enjoyed them), chestnut stuffing, and of course some cupcakes—peanut butter chocolate chip.

Pette della tacchino

Martello-approved Brussels sprouts

Euro Thanksgiving 3.0 is just around the corner…hope to report back on it before Turkey Day 2011!

Baci e gelato,
Martello e Trofie Wife

Gobbled in Genoa

Turkey is known in Italian as tacchino, but from what we can gather, it’s not really a big sell around here. This Thanksgiving was a first for Trofie Wife in many ways. It was the first time in recent memory that she did not watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (or the National Dog Show that follows it), OD on pineapple horseradish dip, blow out the candles on her (totally expected) belated birthday cake, or otherwise spend the holiday with however many Schwartzes can be wrangled together. Instead, Trofie Wife went into Genoa with her British pal to see Rachel Getting Married (at the original-language theatre), which was highly appropriate Thanksgiving fare given its focus on a dysfunctional family; Trofie Wife highly recommends both the film and soundtrack. Given the film venue, Trofie Wife should not have been surprised to hear English both onscreen and in the audience—a most welcome indulgence. She was also happy to gab with and give directions to an elderly couple visiting from the States. Other highlights of the visit to the city included coming upon a large group of Germans from Stuttgart beering and cheering on their “football” team and leafleting students preparing for a big rally on Friday (which might have encountered some complications, given the impending massive wind and rainstorm). 

Martello arrived home well after 9 p.m. so we could finally start working on our Thanksgiving feast. Trofie Wife was hoping to cobble together some fish ravioli from frozen fish filets and some egg pasta Martello selected in Eataly that looked enough like ravioli such that if they were cooked, separated, and then pan-fried fish was slid in between two pieces, presto, we'd have ravioli, right? Well….Martello was pretty convinced that the pouches would not hold together in boiling water, and he was correct. Instead, we baked the ravioli in the oven for five minutes or so and then topped the warmish, sometimes crunchyish, dish with the remnants of our bottle of bagna cauda, a traditional Piedmontese condiment made with olive oil, garlic, and anchovies which even Martello, the Garlic Freak, thought was a bit too garlicky. I’ve just read, however, that it is supposed to be served warm, so perhaps we’ve misjudged/mischaracterized it by not following directions…

Nevertheless, we dined and gave thanks for our new home, each other, and everyone else in our orbit of love and friendship, both near and far.

 Baci e gelato,

Martello e Trofie Wife